EASTER SEALS KIDS ARE UNSTOPPABLE
The world can be a different place for a child living with a disability—a different experience to access
the everyday routines and rhythms of life.
What might seem easy and automatic for many of us as we move through our daily lives - for
someone with a disability - facing additional challenges, barriers and obstacles makes life anything
but simple. And for their parents, the additional financial burdens impact the entire family.
The reality is this - having a disability can severely limit a person’s ability to access their world and
enjoy the same experiences as their able-bodied peers. For many, a disability can even affect how
they see themselves and how they view their own abilities. It can lead to lower self-confidence and
self-esteem which can cause them to doubt their potential and their ability to contribute positively to
their community.
But in many cases, these kids meet their challenges head on – and become remarkable human
beings, achieving great success and accomplishments. With a lot of perseverance, support from their
families and some help from Easter Seals, they can become UnstoppABLE!
The Unstoppable Campaign features the accomplishments of three young people who have grown up
with support from Easter Seals. Brandon Liston is a confident and charismatic speaker thanks to his
role as Easter Seals National Ambassador. Zak Madell is a Paralympic wheelchair rugby athlete who,
after only one year in the sport, led Team Canada to a silver medal at the 2012 London Paralympics.
Victoria Chen is a top student, an accomplished pianist and a former Provincial Ambassador for
Easter Seals Ontario.
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BRANDON LISTON
Some kids dream of leading the country one day. For Brandon Liston this dream might actually
happen.
At 16 years old, Brandon is already a seasoned Easter Seals Ambassador, having served in New
Brunswick when he was six years old until the age of ten. Now he is making history, officially
becoming Easter Seals’ first National Ambassador. Brandon travels to key events across the country
to speak on behalf of Easter Seals kids.
This is the second time the native of Fredericton has made history. He is the youngest recipient of the
Rotary Club of Fredericton’s Paul Harris Fellowship. The award, which acknowledges ‘service above
self’, is the highest honour a Rotary Club can bestow on a person.
Brandon is articulate and passionate, and willing to take on challenges—first public speaking and then
rock climbing, sit-skiing and tubing down a challenging hill.
He also has a great sense of humour. With the help of a friend, Brandon plans to launch a web series
called ‘Brandon’s Epic Adventures’, which will chronicle his hilarious attempts at daunting activities,
complete with live action shots, interviews and bloopers.
When asked what he wants to be as an adult, Brandon answers before the question finishes.
“I have two options and I’m not going to stop until I achieved one of the two,” he says. “My number
one option is to join the political ranks—as mayor, MP, MLA or maybe even Prime Minister. My other
option is to join Easter Seals as CEO, so I can keep making smiles happen for kids with disabilities.”
Brandon knows a thing or two about smiles and Easter Seals. For him, the two go hand-in-hand.
Brandon has cerebral palsy, which affects his right leg and arm. He uses a walker primarily to get
around, and a wheelchair for longer distances.
When he needs to replace a walker he has outgrown, he and his Gran, Terry, turn to Easter Seals New
Brunswick, which provides long-term loans of personal assistive equipment free of charge. This
service is a god-send for parents of children with disabilities. Bringing up a child with a disability can
be incredibly expensive if not for the support of Easter Seals and government programs.
Easter Seals offers more than invaluable equipment loans for children and families. It ensures that
children of all abilities have access to active living opportunities, through sports, social activities and
summer camp.
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Easter Seals’ signature camp program has been putting smiles on the faces of young Canadians with
disabilities for decades. Every year, thousands of children challenge themselves while having the
time of their lives at 14 Easter Seals camps nationwide. Brandon attends Camp Rotary at Grand Lake
in New Brunswick.
“I really love Camp Rotary, especially because it’s accessible. I could go to other camps but how
would I get around? When you are there, everyone knows what you’re going through, and you don’t feel
like you have a disability. You are not set apart from everyone, as you are in everyday life.”
Brandon’s favourite activity at camp is swimming.
“I love the water. It relaxes my muscles. I can walk without the walker because of the buoyancy. When
you get in the water, it’s like being in a whole other dimension.”
Brandon also participates in Easter Seals New Brunswick’s Abilities Program, which offers kids
opportunities to participate in sports such as sledge hockey, wheelchair basketball and sit-ski, as well
as rock climbing and leisure activities. The program not only provides opportunities for kids with
disabilities to get active and socialize, it builds infrastructure in the community to accommodate
people of all abilities.
For Brandon, the Ambassador program has changed his life.
“The Ambassador Program has given me so much courage and so much of a start for the future
because it really speaks to me,” says Brandon. “When I first started, I was really nervous speaking in
public. As I grew older and matured more, it got easier. Now look at me.”
Brandon now speaks at public events without the use of notes. His message is powerful. As National
Ambassador for Century 21 Canada, one of Easter Seals’ longstanding corporate partners, Brandon
enjoys rallying people to become supporters of Easter Seals kids.
“I don’t consider people with disabilities as disabled. ‘Dis’ means you can’t do something. Look at me.
I’m able to walk too. I just do it a little differently. I am differently-abled.”
For Brandon, ‘can’t’ is a bad word. It’s an important message, and one delivered by Canada’s future
Prime Minister, or MP, MLA, CEO, or whoever he chooses to be.
Brandon Liston—simply unstoppABLE!
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ZAK MADELL
Meet Zak Madell—Paralympic silver medallist, World Championships silver medalist, Parapan Am
Games gold medallist, and former Easter Seals support recipient.
At the age of 10, Zak developed a bacterial infection which spread throughout his system causing
septic shock. His body was able to protect his brain and heart, but other organs suffered the effects
of the toxins and lack of oxygen. Much of his tissue was severely damaged, and as a result, he
required amputation of his legs and fingers.
Following his recovery, Zak attended Easter Seals Camp Horizon in Bragg Creek Alberta – a
specialized, fully-accessible camp that provides outdoor adventure based programs for children and
adults with disabilities and medical conditions. The experience at Camp allowed Zak to participate in
all kinds of activities, and gave him the support, encouragement and confidence he needed to try new
things and embrace new opportunities. In 2009 at the age of 15, Zak was named the Easter Seals
Youth Ambassador for Southern Alberta.
Growing up, Zak had a passion for contact sports, and that didn’t change after he lost his legs and
fingers. Six months after he got out of the hospital, Zak was on the hunt for a sport to play—one that
appealed to his competitive nature and love of speed. Zak first tried sledge hockey, but was unable to
hold the stick well enough to really progress in the sport.
Next, he tried wheelchair basketball—a sport in which he competed at a high level, playing for Team
Alberta at the 2011 Canada Winter Games. But once again, his lack of fingers limited his progression
up the national ranks.
Despite this set back, Zak was undeterred and continued to persevere. In 2011, at the age of 16, Zak
was introduced to wheelchair rugby—a sport popularized by the 2005 documentary aptly named,
“Murderball.” He immediately excelled in the high-speed, full-contact sport and shot up the national
and international rankings, often being referred to as a “phenom” in the sport.
Despite having played for just over a year, Zak earned a spot on Team Canada for the 2012 London
Paralympic Games. His incredible performance under the pressure of the Paralympic stage lifted
Canada to victory in its semi-final upset of the number one-ranked American team, before narrowly
losing in the finals to the powerhouse Australian team and capturing the silver medal.
Since his debut in the sport, “The Kid”, as he became known, has established himself as one of the
best wheelchair rugby players in the world. He was named MVP of the 2014 World Wheelchair Rugby
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Championships in Odense, Denmark; the 2014 Canada Cup International Wheelchair Rugby
Tournament; and the 2015 World Wheelchair Rugby Challenge. His biggest honor came when he was
named Canada’s flagbearer for the Closing Ceremony of the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games,
after leading Team Canada to its first gold medal in 13 years as the team’s top scorer.
Zak Madell—simply unstoppABLE!
VICTORIA CHEN
Meet Victoria Chen—multi-talented musician, top student, advocate for children and youth living with
disabilities, and Easter Seals support recipient.
An only child, Victoria was initially diagnosed with unspecified spinal cord damage which was later
defined as transverse myelitis. As a result, her lower extremities are fragile and she has difficulty with
balance. “I can’t walk without using a mobility device,” says Victoria. “I get tired easily by standing or
walking and I feel sore in my muscles, especially in my back. When I go out, I sometimes need to sit in
a transport chair and have my parents push the chair around. Otherwise, I get too tired to do anything
else.”
Victoria wears ankle foot orthotics on both feet and uses forearm crutches to walk short distances
and a walker for longer distances.
Despite her disability, Victoria enjoys life to the fullest. She is incredibly active at school and
participates in a variety of extracurricular activities, including school bands, choirs and the Peel
District Honour Bands and Jazz Bands. Victoria is an enthusiastic student who foresees a career in
the medical field where she can help people, especially children, live a better life.
Victoria is also an multi-talented musician, having mastered the piano, flute, saxophone, guitar and
ukulele. She credits music with helping her “grow into a more interactive, capable and confident
person, making [her] feel energized and alive.”
Victoria and her family have benefited from a number of Easter Seals services and programs, such as
the Recreational Choices Funding Program, attending special events and accessing information and
resources that are important for her family.
In 2015, at the age of 15, Victoria was selected as the Easter Seals Ontario Provincial Ambassador, a
role that fulfilled her desire to advocate for—and give back to—the organization that helped her and
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her family so much. Victoria relished her time as Easter Seals Ontario Provincial Ambassador and
took advantage of any opportunity to meet people who support her cause across Ontario. The role
also gave Victoria the poise and confidence to speak and perform as a musician in public—something
that has helped Victoria immensely in her life.
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